Caravelle Epicée
by Frapin

One of my favorites. This is a genius spicy woody-oriental. 'Coriander, nutmeg, hot pepper, pepper, thyme, Gaiac wood, patchouli, amber, tobacco, sandalwood' - I would add also Cedarwood, Myrrh, and Tonka to that list. I would also add Cumin and Galbanum (or Frankincense). I'd describe it as "Aromatic Dry Spices layered on Precious Woods", "Spicey Oriental Woody", and "Absolutely Fabulous"! A very beautiful base of creamy patchouli/sandalwood and is brimming with irresistible spice and Cedar notes. I bought a full bottle and am tempted to overspray. But it's rich and feels like a concentree - there's no need for more than 2 spritzes. Great sillage and longevity too! I get a beautiful honeyed sandalwood amber and frankincense in the drydown. I love it on its own and give it 5 stars, but I enjoy layering it with Montale Patchouli Leaves in order to get an Earthy-spicey-woody-oriental-mideastern thing going...!

Epicée indeed. Clove, cinnamon, and what might be star anise dominate Caravelle Epicée from the moment it leaves the bottle. These spices exhibit their sharp, astringent aspects as they hover over a dark rose, patchouli, and wood accord. The basic structure isn’t too far removed from Michel Roudnitska’s Noir Epices for Frederic Malle, but its expression here is more subdued, less gaunt and angular. Where Noir Epices can be forbidding, Caravelle Epicée is merely dry and incisive.

As its rose and spices fade, Caravelle Epicée reveals a dusty sandalwood foundation, which in retrospect helps to account for the air of dry austerity that permeates this fragrance. Caravelle Epicée projects well, but without filling the room, and lasts a solid six hours on my skin. It’s smooth, solid, and well-constructed, so if it’s spice you’re after and scents like Diptyque’s Eau Lente or the aforementioned Noir Epices are too dark and heavy for you, give Caravelle Epicée a try.

Frapin Caravelle Epicee

Caravelle Epicee roughly translates to Spice Ship and while that may conjure visions of Frank Herbert's Dune this scent is true to its name in a literal sense. Caravelle Epicee was created in 2007 by Jeanne-Marie Faugier. Ms. Faugier created four scents for Frapin the well known French cognac company. All of them are interesting but Caravelle Epicee is the best of the lot, for me. The top starts right off with a mix of pepper, nutmeg and a sweet amber. The voyage continues as new spices make their way into the mix with coriander, cumin, and cardamom all making their presence known. For those for whom cumin is a problematic note this is another of those scents where its presence is clear and present and if it isn't your cup of tea I'd book passage on a different ship. It is in the base where we find out the wood our metaphorical ship is made of, sandalwood and gaiac as well as the other cargo we are carrying which is a sweet tobacco which turns the drydown of this soft and creamy. This is one of my top 10 scents but that is because I love spice notes and this scent seems to carry all of my favorites. In less skilled hands this could be a case of too much but Ms. Faugier creates a voyage I look forward to taking again and again.

A complex, dry and slightly woody mixture of spices. I especially love the nutmeg note, which I like here better than in Jo Malone's Nutmeg and Ginger Cologne. The later tends towards sharpness on me while this is very soft, even with the pepper! The only negative, to me, is the lack of sweetness. I like my spices a little sugary, but that's my sweet tooth/nose! Still, this is very beautiful.

Nice opening to Frapin’s Caravelle Epicee! Dynamic and dramatic, while carrying a lot of depth: I would guess that it’s the patchouli and gaiac wood rising to the top immediately that make the delivery of the top notes so impressive. There are plenty of spices to support those woods: coriander, nutmeg, hot pepper, pepper. The basic spice / herb accord is a combination of coriander, nutmeg, and thyme floating in a neutral patchouli / gaiac wood background. I’ve come to believe that I am anosmic to the hot pepper notes in fragrances, so I don’t get the heat from the pepper notes that would add more variety to the basic spice accord. The top and heart are fairly linear and the heart notes stay close to the skin. The linearity and the close-to-the-skin action continue through the base, which has excellent lasting power. I don’t mind the linearity or the skin scent action in the least. An accord as deep, rich, and intriguing as this one can deliver under those conditions… and deliver it does. I love this one.

Nice blend of spices (mostly nutmeg) with a slight smoky tobacco heart and a amber and sandalwood drydown.